


the office

by irinuuuh



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 07:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3402902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irinuuuh/pseuds/irinuuuh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>basically just a narry fic based on one of my favorite shows, the office.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the office

“Tomlinson Incorporated, this is Niall.” And for about the 23rd time today, Harry swiveled around in his chair to turn to look at Niall. Clicking a pen in his hand over and over, his desk mate Zayn huffed loudly and turned to him abruptly.

“Styles. Can you keep your annoying clicking to yourself? I’m trying to make a sale, idiot.” He whispered loudly, obviously trying to avoid his customer hearing his quarrel. Harry rolled his eyes and looked over at Niall again. 24. He finally got off of the phone call, transferring him to one of the accountants. He stood up and walked 2 feet and met Niall’s desk, as he did usually and daily. 

“Wanna pull a prank on Malik?” Harry whispered lowly and Niall sighed exasperatedly and slammed his hands on the desk. “THANK GOD. I thought you were never gonna ask. I almost died 12 different times over here.” And for the next 20 minutes, they stayed side by side, planning a prank fit for the terrible co-worker.

Niall and Harry were laughing in silence as Zayn had a freakout. “Harry! Why do you always feel the need to do this! Shit!” He screamed loudly at Harry, knowing Harry’s history with terrible pranks on him. They stayed like that, side by side, and started planning their next prank they’d probably do tomorrow, seeing it was 4:45 pm and nearing closing time. 

“Hey babe, wanna head out?” Liam Payne walked in, here to pick up his lovely fiancé of three years, Niall. Liam looked to Niall’s side, seeing Harry and he suspiciously narrowed his eyes, just a tad. “Harry.” Immediately, the grin was wiped off of Harry’s face and he gave a light cough, nodding towards Liam and making way to his own desk. Harry didn’t see it, but the smile of Niall’s face was wiped off as well, even when Liam asked how his day was. Faking a smile and catching Harry’s eyes before he left, he gave a little wave and leaned into Liam’s touch so he wouldn’t have any suspicions. Harry gave a small wave back and grinned until Niall left, looking back down and feeling his grin fade away slowly. 

“Gonna head out Zayn, wanna walk out together?” Harry said teasingly, knowing Zayn wouldn’t voluntarily go anywhere with him. Zayn looked at him with narrowed eyes and shook his head, looking back at his computer and muttering to himself, “Idiot.” 

The next day when Niall walked in, he had a huge smile plastered onto his face and all Harry could think was, “Great. Now everyone’s gonna be asking him what he did over the weekend or more specifically, what he did over the weekend with Liam. Now, Harry didn’t hate Liam…except for the fact that maybe he did. He didn’t know what it was about the brunet. Maybe it was the fact that he worked in the warehouse, or maybe even how he punched him at his own house party once. But if Harry really thought about it, it was probably because Liam had Niall and he didn’t. Not that he’d ever admit it to anyone, it was just something he knew. And only him, because there was no way he was telling any of his friends that knew Niall, or any of his friends in general. 

“So Niall, what’s got you all smiling and happy?” Harry reluctantly asked, being the one person he said the others would be. He didn’t even want to know. Every single word would be a stab to his heart.

Well, Liam took me out to dinner last night,” Nine. Nine stabs, over and over, hurting him so deeply yet he kept a small, waiting smile on his face as Niall took a sip of the coffee Harry had brought over. “And he decided that we should start planning the wedding! Oh Harry, isn’t that amazing?!” Harry was breaking. Instead of falling to his knees and sobbing for Niall to take him instead, he let out a small yelp (but if you asked Niall, it was more of a squeal than anything else) and he hugged Niall so tightly it was hard for him to breathe. While he was behind Harry’s back, he shut his eyes so tight as if to willingly push the tears away. “February 23rd. Isn’t it wonderful?!” Harry smiled and took a deep breath. His birthday month, too.

“Oh my god Niall, I’m so excited for you!” Harry said, solemn on the inside but what could you do? The love of his life was engaged, soon to be married in seven months. You can’t do much when the person you’re madly in love with is madly in love with someone else, can you? 

Everyday ticked and tocked so slowly by, Harry counting the days. Everyday was a drag, the same old thing. Niall and him pranking Zayn, Harry making a few big sales, Niall picking up the phone, and everyday at 4:45 sharp, Liam came to pick Niall up. He would nod at Harry and Harry would nod back and turn to fight back tears as Liam pulled Niall into the most passionate kiss of the day. 

Until one boring afternoon, where Niall’s calls had been coming nonstop, complaints about the new website that had launched just the day before and complaints about the rude employees, Harry picked up the phone himself. “Hi, I’d like to buy one ticket please.” He waited for a second a twirled the curly part of the phone wire and sighed to himself. “Where do I wanna go? Now that is a good question, probably should’ve thought of the answer before I called.” Harry face palmed himself and let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I’ll call you back when I have the answer.” Now he didn’t only have the burden that he was going to be traveling, but the fact that he had to face he had no idea where he wanted to go. The pain was too unbearable, maybe a few weeks off of work, alone in some random country he had no idea what language was being spoken, maybe he would actually feel better than he was before. 

Looking back up at the receptionists desk, he saw Niall standing up with a smile to lean up on his tippy toes and give Liam a warm welcoming kiss. “Ready to go to lunch, babe?” Harry cringed inwardly at the generic nickname, babe? If Niall was his there would be no “babe,” he’d have a billion other things to call him. 

As soon as Niall came back from lunch and Liam had finally left, he went up to Niall’s desk and stood there, waiting for him to look up. “Oh hey Harry, how was the rush hour?” Niall giggled softly to himself, knowing that there was no rush hour in this boring old place, it was slow every single day of their lives. Harry smiled and looked down, knowing the exact reason he was saying that, teasing him in a sort of way. 

“So hey, guess what’s new in the world of Styles?” Harry said after about 15 minutes of light chatting and prank planning for the horrible desk mate, obviously Malik. Niall looked up, suddenly intrigued. He wiggled his eyebrows and nodded, as a go ahead for him to go on with what he was saying before. “I’m going to Australia for two weeks as a little vacation for me.” Harry said with a tight-lipped smile, yet somehow his dimples deeply etched into his cheeks. 

Niall gasped and smiled widely, “Oh my god, Harry! That’s amazing! When do you leave?” Yeah, sure, he was excited for the curly headed boy but that didn’t mean he’s not going to miss him. Harry’s smile slowly faded away and he looked down, as if his fingers were the most interesting thing to him in the world at the moment. 

“I leave on February 20th.” Harry muttered to himself, but Niall heard him loud and clear. Harry looked up and saw Niall’s smile also fading away slowly, and he cursed himself in his head. “I know, I’m gonna miss the wedding but I thought maybe it would be better this way.” He shook his head, Niall doesn’t know he’s in love with him, so how would that make sense to him? He tapped his fingers on his desk and smiled awkwardly, slowly inching away to his desk. He put his head in his hands and picked up the phone, figuring the easiest way to avoid this is by making some well-needed sales calls, after all, he was a salesman.

Every year, nearing the end, the entire office had a casino night party. It was sort of like a fundraiser in a way, but it was more fun rather than raising funds, Everyone brought their own guests, and even people from the warehouse liked to join. Which meant that Liam would be coming to the small party too. Harry groaned and held his head in his hands, why did Liam have to be coming? The one person who he hated, hated so much because he had Niall, he had a literal ball of sunshine to be with someone like him and he didn't even treat him the way he deserved to be treated. In Harry’s eyes, Niall deserved everything he could ever want. But with Liam, he wasn’t even getting half of that. 

After a few hours into the night, Harry noticed that Niall was alone, sitting with a beer bottle in his hand and a full looking beer next to him. He decided that one stop wouldn't hurt, maybe he wasn’t too drunk yet. “Hey Niall, did Liam leave already?” Niall looked up at Harry, his cerulean eyes shining with unshed tears. “His brothers were in town. Decided he wanted to be with them more than me.” Niall slurred in a hushed tone, obviously proving Harry to be wrong about him not being too drunk. He wiped his nose with his sleeve roughly, scrunching it in the cutest way Harry had ever seen anyone do.

“It’s okay Ni, you can hang out with me tonight. I was hoping we would anyway.” Harry beamed down at Niall, sitting down in the seat next to him to get at the same level as him. “So did Liam tell you where he was going?” He figured if he was gonna be with Niall, might as well talk about something, or someone, he liked. Niall rolled his eyes and slammed his beer down, asking his bartender for another one right away. He wiped his mouth and looked at Harry, giving him a look that Harry found extremely hard to understand.

“Fuck him! Fuck Liam! All he ever does is hurt me. And what do I do? I go back to him, every single time, hoping something will change. But it won’t.” Harry looked behind Niall, shaking his head solemnly. “Oh Harry, if only he was like you.” Harry smiled at the words but he knew Niall didn’t mean it. He was an Irishman, he got drunk every day of his life, it was normal. Niall leaned in and pressed his lips tightly to Harry’s and settled himself there, sighing deeply with pleasure. Harry didn’t make a move. He didn’t deepen the kiss and he definitely didn’t pull away, he was frozen and he had no idea what was happening. 

“Wow. Sorry Harry, I’m really drunk.” Niall giggled onto his lips while at the same time, breathing onto Harry’s face and now Harry knew that yeah, he was extremely wasted. “How about I call you a cab?” Harry offered, smiling down at the boy, his body still tingling from the kiss and his lips numb from the sparks. Niall felt them too. Harry knew it. He just felt them because he was drunk, not because they were necessarily there for him. He let a few tears roll down his cheek and it honestly did not at all matter who saw them, because who cares anymore? 

“Really sorry again Harry, it was a mistake.” Niall climbed into the back seat of the cabbie, while Harry was talking to the driver and giving him a few pounds to cover the ride for Niall back home. 

“No. Niall. Wait, I need to be upfront with you.” Harry held Niall’s cold palms in one of his hands and started massaging the back of his hand with his thumbs. “Niall. I-I don’t know how to tell you something like this. I’m just gonna come right out and say it.” Harry opened his clenched eyes to see Niall’s blue eyes looking up at him with curiosity and worry at the same time, somehow. “I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you since you started working here 4 years ago, and through all these years and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same because I honestly don’t expect you to.” And before Niall could say anything, Harry grabbed his chin gently and pushed it up, slowly breathing onto Niall’s lips, closing his eyes in ecstasy. He gulped audibly before slotting their lips together, fitting so perfectly within one another and what made it even better, in Harry’s opinion, is that Niall was kissing back with just as much passion.  

And as quickly it was there, it was gone. “H-Harry, I can’t…I can’t do something like this. I’m getting married in a few months. And it’s not my fault that you’re in love with me, Harry. I’m sorry. I just can’t.” Harry slowly separated his forehead from Niall’s and his smile disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. 

“I’m sorry if I misinterpreted your actions towards our friendship. I’m sorry, Niall. Goodnight. I love you.” Harry turned his back to whisper the last three words but he had no doubt that Niall had heard them. His green eyes welled up with tears as he continued walking into his own car, and just as soon as the cabbie had past Harry, he fell to his knees and pulled on his hair. He pulled so hard and let out a blood curdling scream, hearing his sobs fill the cool night air. And he decided right there in that moment, he was going to be transferring to the different branch the CEO had recommended him to.

After a few weeks after that terrible night, Harry had nightmares upon nightmares about what happened that night. Niall was very hurt that Harry didn’t tell him anything about moving. He didn’t know that his decision of not wanting Harry would make such a difference in the office. He had no motivation to get anything done lately, he had no one to pull pranks with. And when Liam picked him up everyday with the daily greeting kiss, he felt nothing compared to what Harry had given him, the kind of passion he felt through the kiss.

He realized that he wanted nothing to do with Liam. He realized that Liam wasn't the one for him at all, but what could he do? It was too late to back out now. He had to marry the man, become Niall Horan-Payne...but oh what Harry would give if he was going to become Niall Horan-Styles. 

Over at the branch Harry was in, he was bored out of his mind. He realized there was no annoying desk mate to bug, as they all had their own individual desks. He didn’t have a Niall, or anyone like him in the office. He didn’t have anyone in the office he could call a friend. He missed the old place and he missed the receptionist the most. If only Niall loved him back, if only his confession had gone the way he had planned, he wouldn’t be in this godforsaken place he hated so much to be in. At least at the branch in New York he knew people, the people there actually somehow liked him. 

It was now after Niall’s wedding, somewhere in March to be exact. His manager had informed him that they were transferring him back to the old place he worked, he had much better numbers and performed much better over there. He knew that, without a doubt this was 100 percent true. He had motivation beside him, he had a receptionist to impress. 

Harry strolled casually into the office, standing there for about 3 minutes going unnoticed at the receptionist desk at the front before Niall looked up. “Harry! Oh my gosh!” Niall scrambled from his seat and walked to Harry, engulfing him in a huge hug, it had been about 6 months since they had last seen each other. Niall’s squeals had caught attention to the rest of the employees, all greeting Harry with warm smiles and pats on the back, besides Zayn, of course.

“Hello, Zayn.” Harry smiled smugly and sat in his old desk, eyeing Zayn before turning his computer on to see that Zayn had a smile small placed on his face. He decided not to say anything about it and looked back onto what he was doing. 

Harry had heard form office rumors that Niall had, in fact, called off the wedding, which is why Liam had entered during lunch time and asked if he wanted chicken or fish. Apparently the food was nonrefundable, so they had no choice but to freeze it and eat it until the supply had ran out. He smiled at the thought. Niall and Harry. Harry and Niall. It had a nice ring to it if you asked him. 

“So Niall. I heard about you and Liam and I’m sorry that happened to you, Liam’s a jerk.” Harry hung out by Niall’s desk again, just like good times. Niall smiled at Harry and leaned up to ruffle his curls and comment on how long it had gotten since he last saw him; it was almost past his shoulders.

“No Harry, I got cold feet a week before the wedding and decided it was a no go. Theres a million reasons why I called it off, I just wasn’t feeling like we were in love anymore, you know?” Niall explained in a curt manner, not really wanting to talk about the matter at work. He hated sharing his personal life with co workers besides Harry, and everyone in the office was nosy and they could over hear something, just to spread it the wrong way.

“Do you wanna grab a drink after work to talk about it a little? Maybe we could get dinner too.” Harry fiddled with his fingers, looking down at the floor and all around, doing anything to avoid Niall’s eyes. “Harry, of course. I’d love to catch up with you.” Niall said, a pink blush tinting his cheeks as he rubbed the palm of his hand up and down Harry’s forearm. He giggled and realized how much they were acting like little schoolgirls talking to their crushes for the first time. “I’ll email you to make plans.” Harry said and walked back to his desk with a little bit of pep in his step. 

Niall stopped and looked down into his hands, a smile spreading on his face and a blush dusting his already-rosy enough cheeks. He had a date with Harry. And it somehow made him so happy, yet he didn’t know why. The one night at that casino had him rethinking his future with Liam. That one kiss he shared with Harry made him feel more special and more loved than Liam had ever made him feel. After months of missing the curly haired boy, he finally had a chance to be with him. 

Suddenly his desktop computer dinged and he refreshed the page, seeing a new email with Harry’s email address at the top. He averted his eyes from the computer and looked at Harry with narrow eyes, mockingly. Harry looked at him with raised eyebrows and a shrug as if to say, “hey, I had nothing to do with it.” He smiled and opened the email, going over all the details and looking back at Harry with a thumbs up. 

Looking from the point of view from his co workers, everyone had different opinions. “I’m telling you, they’re an item! You can see how in love they are with each other.” The accountants and salesmen would argue everyday, trying to make a point as to who was right and who was wrong. “No. Trust me, I know love and that is not it. They’re just really good friends, is all.” 

Niall and Harry were sort of an item now, and everyday they would stay up until 3 am talking about anything and everything. Niall would talk about his horrible relationship with Liam and how terrible he was to him, while Harry would nod and listen and wipe away the few stray tears that slipped from Niall’s eyes. Niall would talk about the music classes he’d always wanted to take ever since he was little. Harry would talk about his older sister and his amazing family life at home, Niall asking questions that Harry didn’t really want to answer. When Niall checked the clock and it turned out to be in the am’s he figured he’d just stay the night. 

After months and months of dating, Harry confessed to Niall that he had been in love with him for quite a few years now. In return, Niall confessed that he always knew, and that he also had the same feelings hidden deep down. They had just recently came up out of blue waters and made themselves clear. 

“Harry! Oh my gosh, look, they have an opening at the new school three hours from here.” Harry looked up from Niall’s lap, finding the laptop seated beside him showing the title, ‘New Openings in the School of Music.’ Harry gasped excitedly, sitting up and leaning onto Niall, knowing this has been his dream ever since he was a kid, trying to get signed by whoever he possibly could.

“Babe, that’s such an amazing opportunity, you know you have to take it, right?” Harry rubbed his nose into the crest of Niall’s shoulder, smiling so wildly it was kind of scary. It was his boyfriend’s dream, should’t he be allowed? Niall giggled as if Harry was tickling him, and in a way he was, with his curls rubbing against his cheeks.   

“I would but… I mean, it’s a 6 month opportunity. If I go, I’ll be gone for 6 months and I can’t be away from you for that long. I love you, Harry.” Niall said with a blush and hid his face in his hands. Harry’s smile faded but a new and fake smile was replaced quickly. He knew Niall had to do this, and he really wanted him to. But he didn’t know if he could be without Niall for that long.

“Hey now, you know your dreams are more important than any stupid boy that could ever come across.” Harry said teasingly yet not so teasingly, tickling Niall’s neck with his unruly curls. Niall knew he was joking but he was still concerned. “C’mon Ni, you know you have to go. I love you more than life itself and I just want you to be happy.” Niall was hesitant but he knew he’d have to agree. How could he not? All he’s ever wanted to do was music. 

And so there he was, two months later, starting his first day of school at the Manhattan School of Music. Harry drove him up there, kissing him every five seconds and rubbing Niall’s hand with his thumb every 10. He was so in love with Niall and now he had to deal with only seeing him once every 2 weeks for 6 months. Yeah, it would be hard but it was for Niall, and he’d do anything for his baby. 

And yes, Harry was needy, and maybe every night they would end up on the phone, talking about what they were going to do to each other when Niall got back or when Harry visited. But no one needed to know. 

After the fifth month, Harry couldn’t handle it anymore. He hadn't seen Niall in 3 weeks and he just had a very, very hard day. So he called Niall up and arranged some very fancy lunch plans. “Hey babe, wanna meet me halfway at the gas station so we could go get something to eat? I miss you so much. I had a really bad day, and you’re the only thing that kept me sane in this stupid office.” And when Niall agreed, he silently fist pumped to himself and put his wallet and the small velvet box in his pocket. 

Just when he was nearing the gas station, it started drizzling. Slowly at first, and then the rain came pouring down as if the clouds decided to be extra sad today. Harry didn’t mind honestly. Even much more of a perfect moment for him. 

“HARRY!” Niall exclaimed as soon as Harry pulled up, having being there for about 10 minutes, waiting on his lover. Harry outstretched his arms and buried his face into the smell of Niall’s fruity hair. “I missed you so fucking much. I have so much to tell you, Haz—“ 

Niall was interrupted by Harry pulling away from him abruptly, taking a few steps backwards as Niall marveled confusedly, in that cute way Harry loved, with his head tilted to the side and his wide blue eyes even wider in curiousness. 

“Niall James Horan. I have loved you since the day you stepped into that stupid office we call our life now. I hate that place so much, but baby, you made it all worth it.” And at this point, Harry was already down on one knee, with Niall looking at him with glassy eyes and a hand covering his mouth. “And I know this gas station isn't really the best place to do it. But Niall, every time I’m sad and I look into your eyes, it makes every single challenge I’ve went through seem like nothing, because I have you by my side now. You make me so extremely happy, baby. So would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive and marrying me?” 

Niall was absolutely speechless, yet he mustered up the courage to whisper out a weak, cracked “yes,” and that was that.


End file.
